Inga of Varteig

Inga of Varteig (1185-1234) was the mistress of King Haakon III of Norway and the mother of Haakon IV of Norway.

Biography
Inga of Varteig was born in Varteig, southeastern Norway in 1185, and, in 1203, she had an affair with King Haakon III of Norway when he visited nearby Borg. Haakon died in 1204, and Inga gave birth to their son shortly after, naming him Haakon in honor of his father. In the winter of 1205-1206, Inga and her son were escorted from Lillehammer to Trondelag by allied Birkebeiners, reaching the safety of King Inge II of Norway's court after a cross-country skiing journey. She died in Bergen in 1234, having lived to see her son become King.